Luggage carrier



March 23 1926. v 1,578,136

M. A. KANE LUGGAGE CARRIER v Filed Nov. 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [nmr Weary-{fire March 23 1926. 1,578,136

1 M. A. KANE LUGGAGE CARR I ER Filed Nov. 22, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet z Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED'VVSTATES MURRAY ALBERT KANE, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

LUGGAGE CARRIER.

Application filed November 22, 1924. Serial No. 751,679.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, MURRAY A. KANE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at e through a portion of the running board and clamp showing the engagement of the stOp member with the upper member of the Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Luggage Carriers of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in luggage carriers for automobiles and more particularly to a luggage carrier which is convertible for use as a table while touring.

as. important object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be readily applied to and removed from the running board of the vehicle and which when in use as a luggage carrier, provides a smooth, unbroken surface against which the luggage rests, thus preventing damage to the luggage often caused by the ordinary type of carrier.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having arms which are swingable to positions where they lie-betweena pair of vertical supports carried by the running board or to points where they extend outwardly from these supports in parallel relation and which, when in the last named position, support horizontally a foldable table top which in the first named position is employed as a side 'wall and base for the carrier.

Other objects than these lie in the details of construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a luggage carrier constructed in accordance with my invention showing the same applied to the running board and in the folded position;

Figure 2 is a perspective of the luggage carrier detached and showing the same in the extended or table forming position or cover being removed; r y

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken through the running board between the vertical supports, the luggage carrier being shown with the cover in solid lines as it is applied in the devices in use as a luggage carrier and in dotted lines superimposed upon th'e'horizontal supports for use as a table;

Figure 4 is a perspective of the cover rem c 3;;

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 1s a similar sectional view taken clamp; and

Figure 7 Figure 1. 7

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates clamps, each embodying an arm 11 to overlie the running board of the vehicle, an arm 12 adapted to underlie the runningoboard of the vehicle and a connecting portion 13 for these arms adapted to abut the outer face of the running board. Each arm 12 has adjustably directed therethrough a clamping screw 14 by means of which the clamp is held in position onthe running board. The clamps 10 are two in number and have is a section on the line 7--7 of secured thereto vertical supports 15 and 16,

one support being secured to each clamp. "he supports 15 and 16 are identical in construction with the exception of the fact that the support 16 is slightly shorter than the support 15 for a purpose presently to appear. Each vertical support 15 and 16 comprises an angle bar having one flange 17 thereof secured to the connecting portion 13 of its associated clamp. This flange 17 is so attached that the remaining flange 18 in each instance is arranged at that side of the flange 17 remote from the other of the supports. Secured to each support 15 and 16 adjacent the top thereof is a bracket 19 in the form of a horizontally directed shelf arranged in the included angle of the angle iron fron which the support is made. To this bracket is pivotally secured one end of the horizontally disposed flange 20 of a horizontal angle iron support. The horizontal angle iron supports of the vertical supports 15 and 16 are designated by the characters 15 and 16 respectively. Secured to each support 15 and 16 acent the lower ends thereof arehorizontal shelves 21 corresponding to the shelves 19 and having pivotally connected thereto the lower ends '22 of strap iron braces 23, the upper ends of which aresecured to the vertically extending flanges 2a of their respective horizontal supports'15 and 16 The support 16 being shorter than the supp0rt 15 and the points of attachment With the shelves 19 and 2t being similar onthe two supports, it will be obvious that Stlll'lClQDt clearance will be provided to permit the horizontal i'lange of one of these supports to overlie the horizontal flange of the other of the supports so that the supports nest when they are in what may be termed folded position or in that position in which they are directed toward the other of the vertical supports. When in extended position and directed downuu'dly from the vertical supports 15 and 16 and horizontally positioned, pivotal .inoven'ient of the supports 15 and 16 is limited by the engagen'ient of the inner ends of the vertical flanges 2i with the downwardly directed flange 18 of the vertical support to which they are pivoted.

In combination with the structure of tuis character, I provide a fol'lable combination table top and carrier lining generally designated at This device preferably consists of two pieces of lib-er 26 and E27, adjacent edges of which are conncctet by countersunk hinges 28. Tue under surface of the smaller piece 26 has embedded therein a pair of stop members 29, each comprising a flat plate countersunk in the under surface of the section 26 and each having a depending flange 30, the purpose of which will presently appear. The under surface of the section 27 has secured thereto a pair of similarly spaced spring catches 31 each having a latching shoulder 32 opposing the adjacent surface of; the section 27 in sutliciently spaced relation thereto to permit engagement therebeneath of a flange of the angle irons from which the vertical and horizontal supports are constructed it being understood that angle iron of the same size is employed in the construction of the supports. in placing the vertical supports upon the running board of the vehicle the adjacent faces of the arn 11, overlie the running board and are spaced apart-aklistance tonal to the spacing between remote faces of the flan; 1 so that when the section 26 of the comlrned table top and carrier cover is applied thereto, the flanges 30 will engage between the arms ll and prevent longitudinal movement of the cover. When the section 26 is in this position, the section 27 is vertically disposed and abuts against the (ranges 17 of the vertical supports 1.5 and 16, At this time, the latches 31 will engage the flanges 17 and maintain the section 27 in vertical position. At this time, the hori zontal supports will'be in folded position and will be held in such position by a set screw carried by one thereof engaging dz) the other thereof as more clearly shown in Figure 7. ll hcn the arms are moved to the extended position the latches 31 will engage the horizontal flanges of the horizontal supports 15 and lfi and the "flanges 3t) of the stop members 29 will engage be-- tween and against adjacent edges of these flanges adjacent the attached ends of the horizontal supports, thus very firmly securing the table top in position upon the horizontal supports. It is pointed out that while the table top will be held against movement the section 26 thereof may be tilted upwardly to permit a person to step downwardly and seat themselves upon the running board between the table top and the car, thus increasing the sittingcapacity afforded.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that a luggage carrier constr cted in accordance with my invention will in addition to providing a smooth surfaced carrier, which will not in any way injure luggage placed thereon, also provides a table or" considerable size and stability and tiis becomes a valuable adjunct to touring equipment. it will also be obvious that the structure hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without iatcrially departing from the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

' I claim:

1. In a combined luggage carrier and table, the combination with a pair of ver* tical supports having means whereby they may be secured to the outer edge of the running board of a vehicle to extend upwardly therefrom horizontal supports pivoted to the vertical supports and swingable about the pivots thereof to positions where they parallel the edge of the running board and lie side by side or to positions where they parallel one another and extend outwardly from the running board, of a cover comprising a pair of flat rigid sheets each of'a length greater than the di tance between the vertical supports, pivoted to one another along adjacent edges thereof said sheets in the first named position of said horizontal supports lying one upon the upper surface of the running boardto which the vertical supports are secured and the other against: the vertical supports, said sheets in the last named position lying in the same plane and being supported upon the horizontal supports and secured thereto, the horizontal supports having engageme n13v with the vertical supports in the last named position limiting their movement into the last named position; the securing means of the cover engaging adjacent faces of said horizontal supports when in the last named position and preventing return movement thereof.

2..In a combined luggage carrier and table, the combination with a pair of vertical supports having means whereby they may be secured to the outer edge of the running board of a vehi le to extend up- \vardly therefrom, horizontal supports pivoted to the vertical supports and swingable about the pivots thereof to positions where they parallel the edge of the running board and lie side by side or to positions where they parallel one another and extend outwardly from the running board, of a cover comprising a pair of flat rigid sheets each of a length greater tween the vertical supports pivoted to one another along adjacent edges thereof, said sheets in the first named position of said horizontal supports lying one upon the upper surface of the running board to which the vertical supports are secured and the other against the vertical supports, said sheets in the last named position lying in the same plane and being supported upon the horizontal supports and secured thereto, the securing means of said vertical supports including portions overlying the upper face of the running board, the first named section of the cover having upon its under surface, stop members which in the first named position of the sheets engage adjacent faces of said portions to preventlongitudinal shifting of the sections and in the last named position of the sheets engage adjacent faces of said horizontal.

supports to thereby prevent movement of the horizontal supports from said second named position and to prevent displacement of said sheets.

3.111 a combined luggage carrier and table, the combination with a pair of vertical supports having means whereby they may be secured to the outer edge of the running board of a vehicle to extend upwardly therefrom, horizontal supports pivoted to the vertical supports and swingable about the pivots thereof to positions where they parallel the edge of the running board and lie side by side or to positions where they parallel one another and extend outwardly f om the running board, of a cover comprising av pair of flat rigid sheets each of a length greater than the distance between the vertical supports pivoted to one another along adjacent edges thereof, said sheets in the first named posit-ion of said horizontal supports lying one upon the upper surface of the running board to which the vertical supports are secured and the other against the vertical supports, said sheets in thclast named position lying in the same plane and being supported upon the horizontal supports and secured thereto, the last named section of the cover having spring latches constituting the means whereby it is secured to either said vertical or horizontal supports.

l. A combined luggage carrier and table comprising two vertical supports adapted to be secured to the running board of an automobile, a horizontal support pivot-ally than the distance be-' secured to each vertical support and movable from a first position paralleling the running board to a second position substantially at right angles to the running board, a flat member adapted to lie across-the horizontal supports in the second position to form a table and in the first named position to abut the vertical supports to form the side of a luggage carrier and means for securing said flat member to the horizontal supports in the second position and to the vertical supports in the first position.

5. A combined luggage carrier and table comprising two vertical supports adapted to be secured to the running board of an automobile, a horizontal support pivotally secured to each vertical support and movable from a first position paralleling the running board to a second position substantially at right angles to the running board, a fiat member adapted to lie across the horizontal supports in the second position to form a table and in the first named position to abut the vertical supports to form the slde of a luggage carrier and means for securing said flat member to the horizontal supports in the second position and to the vertical supports in the first position, the vertical and horizontal supports having coacting portions positively limiting relative movement of the supports at the second-pm sition. V

6. A combined luggage carrier and table comprising a pair of substantially U-shaped clamps adapted to be secured to the running board of an automobile, a pair of vertical angle bar supports secured to said clamps, horizontal angle bar supports pivotally secured to the vertical supports and movable from a first position paralleling the runing board to a second position at right angles to the running board, the said horizontal supports being limited in their outward path of movement by the flanges of the vertical angle bar supports, a cover comprising a pair of flat rigid sheets of a greater lengththan the distance between the vertical supports and hinged together along adjacent edges thereof, said sheets in the first named position of the horizontal supports lying one upon the top bar of the U-shaped clamps-and the other against the vertical supports, the said sheets in the second position of the supports lying upon the horizontal supports, and latch members carried by both sheets of the cover and adapted to hold the sheets to the top bar of the U-shaped clamps and vertical supports in the first mentioned position and to hold the said cover upon the horizontal supports and preventing collapsing of the same in the second position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature.

MURRAY ALBERT KANE. 

